South Africa’s beloved Maize Meal brand White Star, launched its newest campaign on 2 June 2021 to celebrate maize meal, called “For The Love of Maize”.
Since I never get the art of pap making right, this was super exciting for me. When they said a cooking class, I was sold. When they said the class would be a superstar chef, I almost died and got my cooking loving cousin to attend with me.
The launch saw White Star partner with SA’s first Michelin Star Chef and Restaurateur Jan Hendrik, to host a fabulous cooking masterclass to showcase some innovative maize recipes, to give consumers versatile and creative ways to cook and enjoy their maize meal and shared his interpretation on some old favourites as well as fresh new takes on this much loved South African staple.
Chef Hendrik took to his kitchen to share the three exciting below recipes, namely
PAP CAVIAR, CHAKALAKA WITH BALSAMIC CAVIAR AND TETE DE MOINE
TIME: overnight + 1 ½ hours / SERVES: 4 – 6
For the stywe pap
500 ml water
250 ml White Star Super Maize Meal
salt and freshly ground black pepper
tete de moine or a mature cheddar cheese – to taste
For the sheba / tomato chakalaka sauce
25 ml olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 onion, peeled and thinly sliced
6 fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
15 g fresh chives, finely chopped
700 ml tomato puree or alternatively you can make your own
salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the balsamic caviar
500 ml canola oil
200 ml balsamic vinegar
50 g (55 ml) sugar
1 garlic clove, crushed and peeled
1 sprig thyme
2 leaves gelatin
salt and freshly ground black pepper for the pap
METHOD
Pour the water into a saucepan and add 5 ml salt and heat.
Once the water starts to boil, reduce the heat. Gradually add the maize and stir with a balloon whisk until smooth. Cover the saucepan and reduce the heat to the lowest setting on your stove. Give the porridge a stir every now and then. After 30 minutes the porridge should be ready.
Add the cheese of choice. Once cooled roll different size balls – this is caviar.
Roll the caviar in uncooked maize meal and make sure they are well covered.
Heat canola oil to 180 °C. Fry the maize meal balls in batches till golden brown.
Drain on kitchen towel.
For the Sheba
Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and add the garlic and onion.
Sauté until the onions are soft and translucent.
Add the basil, chives and tomato puree. Season with salt and pepper.
Let the sauce simmer till thick.
For the balsamic caviar
Pour the oil into a bowl and refrigerate overnight.
Place the balsamic vinegar, sugar, garlic clove and thyme into a pot and place on the heat, bring to the boil and leave to simmer or until the mixture has reduced to 150 ml. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper. Pour the mixture through a fine sieve to remove the thyme.
Place the gelatine leaf into a bowl of cold water until the gelatine leaf is soft, remove it from the water and add it into the warm balsamic reduction. Stir with a spoon until the gelatine is dissolved. Then pour the mixture into a disposable piping bag.
Place the bowl of frozen oil over another bowl that is filled with ice water. Cut a very small tip off of the piping bag and gently drizzle the balsamic reduction all around into the bowl of the frozen oil. Once you have finished drizzling the juice into the oil, place it back into the freezer. Leave for an hour and then strain the balsamic caviar out of the oil by pouring it through a sieve.
Spoon the chakalaka / sheba sauce in your serving bowls.
Arrange your fried pap caviar on top the sauce. Spoon balsamic caviar on top and garnish with fresh basil.
Finish it off with tete du moine.
PAP ARANCINI AND MOZZARELLA CHEESE BALLS
TIME: 1 hour / SERVES: 6 depending on the size of the balls
For the stywe pap
500 ml water
5 ml salt
250 ml White Star Super Maize Meal
for the arancini balls
3 circles feta cheese (optional), crumbled
150 g mozzarella cheese
70 g (125 ml) cake flour
2 eggs
100 g dried bread crumbs
500 ml canola oil, for frying
for the fried leeks
1 large leek, halved and sliced into thin strip
METHOD
For the Stywe pap
Pour the water into a saucepan and add the salt. Bring to the boil. Once the water starts to boil, reduce the heat. Gradually add the maize meal and stir with a balloon whisk until smooth. Cover the saucepan and reduce the heat to the lowest setting on your stove.
You can give the porridge a stir every now and then. After 30 minutes the porridge should be done.
For the arancini balls
If you are using the feta cheese, add it to the porridge in the saucepan. Mix well and let it cool.
Slice the mozzarella cheese into blocks. Spoon the cooled porridge into the palm of your hand, then place a block of mozzarella cheese in the centre and cover the cheese, forming a ball.
Roll the balls in flour. Beat the eggs and roll the balls in the egg mixture. Roll the balls in the crumbs and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Heat the oil in a saucepan and fry the balls till golden and crispy. Drain on kitchen towel and serve warm.
for the fried leeks
Fry the leeks in the same oil as the arancini balls till golden and crispy. Drain on kitchen towel.
PAP FRENCH TOAST OMELETTE
TIME: 1 hour / SERVES: 2
for the pap French toast
250 ml water
5 ml salt
125 ml White Star Super Maize Meal
3 eggs, beaten
50 g (55 ml) butter
salt
berries
yogurt
honey
toasted nuts
dates
METHOD
For the pap French toast
Pour the water into a saucepan and add the salt. Bring to the boil. Once the water starts to boil, reduce the heat. Gradually add the maize meal and stir with a balloon whisk until smooth. Cover the saucepan and reduce the heat to the lowest setting on your stove.
You can give the porridge a stir every now and then. After 30 minutes the porridge should be done.
Spread the stywe pap onto a standard-sized baking tray. Let it cool. Slice the stywe into squares, or size you prefer.
Beat 2 of the eggs in a bowl. Dip the slices of stywe pap in the egg and then beat in the last egg.
Melt the butter in a crepe pan and pour the eggs with the pap slices. Leave till the eggs starts to set and then start folding over the eggs as you will make a omelette.
Place the pap omelette on your serving plate and top with berries of your choice.
Spoon honey on top and drizzle with yogurt . Finish with dates, toasted nuts and more berries.
Maize is loved in every corner of Mzansi, and for the next few months White Star will be rolling out For the love of Mazie campaign to celebrate the numerous ways that this product can be used, the values it holds and the social connections it ties us to. From the pap that is so loved at our braais, to the comforting warmth of homemade porridge served at our breakfast tables. Maize meal is the ingredient that brings us together.
